Senate Republicans brought a bill to the floor this week that would spend $1 million on a marketing campaign to promote and recruit law enforcement officers across the state. Details on how the money would be spent and the effectiveness of such a program were limited and efforts by Senate DFLers to move the funding into an effective recruitment program failed.
Other states have run marketing campaigns to recruit law enforcement candidates, but these campaigns have been coupled with dramatic increases in pay and benefits. Low wages have been a barrier to recruitment across job sectors, and law enforcement is not immune.
Bills were also heard in the Judiciary Committee that provide hiring bonuses for law enforcement and allow for reimbursement of educational expenses related to becoming a police officer.
While these bills might increase the number of officers in the short term, Senate Republicans have once again failed to offer any solutions that would invest in our communities and prevent crime moving forward.
Senate DFLers are committed to addressing this recent uptick in crime while also offering long-term solutions and we will continue to do both as we work through session. (SF 2848)
